Missoula man pleads guilty to vehicle theft, crashes truck after fleeing traffic stop

POLSON — A 24-year-old man who stole a truck from Missoula and crashed it into a fence near Lake Mary Ronan Road pleaded guilty to charges of theft and criminal mischief, both felonies, in Lake County District Court last Wednesday. After signing a plea agreement, John Graves of Missoula should be sentenced to 10 years in the Department of Corrections, none of which is suspended.

According to Lake County Sheriff Office and Missoula Police Department reports, on Oct. 6, 2011, Graves stole a 2009 GMC Denali truck and drove it into Lake County. On the same day, the owner of the vehicle reported their vehicle missing and the OnStar system was able to track the Denali.

Lake County dispatch was notified and after there were reports of the stolen truck near Elmo, law enforcement located the vehicle and started a traffic stop on Lake Mary Ronan Road. According to court documents, Graves stopped the vehicle and after he was ordered to step out of the vehicle, he drove away at a high rate of speed heading northbound on U.S. Highway 93.

About a mile later, Graves turned the vehicle off the road, drove through a grass field and hit a barbed wire fence. The OnStar system then disabled the vehicle. Graves tried to restart the vehicle and caused damage to the interior of it trying to disable the OnStar system but was unsuccessful.

Law enforcement told Graves to give up but he refused to exit the vehicle. Graves told officers that he wanted a cigarette and they were eventually successful in tricking the man with tobacco products and forcibly removed him from the vehicle.

Graves faced a maximum of 20 years and a fine of $100,000 and was not present for his Dec. 14 court date for arraignment. Because of that, a warrant was put out for his arrest.

The plea agreement gives him 10 years in the DOC for both counts, which will run concurrently of each other.